Terranea
by Jay Hawkes
Summary: Destiny awaits Dakre when his childhood hero, Urkrad Stone, seeks his help in saving the world. The adventure begins when Dakre discovers the legendary Crystal Blade of Power, once wielded by the Crystal Knight himself. Now he journeys into the unknown, uncovering hidden secrets, spawning new friendships, and meets a new crush. Explore the world with Dakre and the Hero Corp.
1. Graduation Day

_Chapter 1: **Graduation Day**_

"Come sit down with me for a while and let me tell you a story one last time." Grandpa Bardock said as he sat down next to me on his rocking chair. He glared at me for a moment and chuckled with a tear in his eye. "I can't believe it's almost time for you to go on your own. I bet you tomorrow, you will be able to follow your Father's footsteps, hopefully on the right path. Just don't make the same mistakes your dad did, ok?" "I won't, Grandpa." He got comfortable, then told his tale.

"A long time ago, in a universe where myths and legends come true, there were two singularities, Light and Darkness. From the Light came the guardians of our world, the Crystal Knights. And from the Darkness came the caretakers of the underworld. Together these two factions maintained the balance of the Earth to bring peace and prosperity to our world. But sure enough, peace was not to last. The beings of Darkness grew bitter and foul-tempered. Soon they began to retaliate against the world order. As their growing hatred built up, it eventually erupted into a war over control of the realm, to create a new world in their image. Though the Darkness was strong in numbers, they were outmatched and overpowered by the Crystal Knights, whose power was (and still is) unrivaled. In the turning point of the war, one particular knight, named Dakre, wielded one of the most powerful weapons ever crafted, the Crystal Blade of Power. This ancient blade was imbued with the divine power of the god of Light himself. With the power of this blade, Darke drove his sword into the heart of the Darkness, crippling him. With it, he banished the evil deity from this world, to an Omni-realm known as ' _The Nordic Rift_ '. From that time since peace had been restored, and life as we know it survived. The Light told of an ancient prophecy, '' ** _Tempore tenebris male agit, unique consurgent ad tenebras dissipet semel radices_**.' Translated, it says, 'When times are dark, and evil lurks, one hero will rise up against the roots of evil and destroy the Darkness once and for all.' These were his final words before he fell into a deep slumber. And he still sleeps to this day."

As my grandfather concluded the story, he led me to my room and gave me a hug. "You were named after Dakre, the last of the Crystal Knights during the war. He was one of the bravest heroes ever known. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here. Now, get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow." He brushed his hand through my hair, turned off the light, and went back to his room to retire for the evening. I could barely sleep, as many thoughts ran through my head. 'Did all that actually happen? Is the Crystal Blade real?' I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but that would have to wait till morning. I counted my Z's and went to bed. It was difficult to sleep through the night, as I had a dream about the war, and someone in the distance calling my name. It was strange. I've been having the same dream over and over for the past few weeks.

The next day, I woke up, got dressed and got myself ready for the ceremony. I've completed all my classes in school and trained at the Academy. Today I will receive my Certificate of Completion, and with it, I will finally become the adventurer I've only dreamed of. After a satisfying breakfast and a jog around grandpa's cabin, I was ready to go and fulfill my destiny. For the longest time, I've been wanting to meet my childhood hero, Urkrad Stone, leader of the Hero Corp. I was particularly excited for today because Urkrad himself will be presenting the graduates of this year's ceremony. The only problem was that I still couldn't shake off the strange dream I had last night. 'Who was calling my name, and why did the voice sound so familiar?' I dismissed the thought and began my walk to the graduation ceremony. Today is my day, and nothing will go wrong... I hope.

When I arrived at the town square, the main foyer in the City Hall was packed. Friends and family, relatives from around the country, they were all here for the ceremony. Down at the end of the hall, I could see the other graduates, the founder of the Academy, and my hero, Urkrad Stone. It was really him in the flesh! I had to calm myself down, 'Ok, ok. Keep calm. You can do this. This is your time. This is your greatest accomplishment, and nothing will ruin today!' I stood in line with the other graduates, waiting for my time to come. A few of my friends from school were graduating too, so I was glad I got the chance to stand by them one last time before we head on our own paths.

At last the ceremony had begun, and it started with a big welcome to this year's special guest, Urkrad Stone. "It is a great honor to be here today. I am Urkrad Stone, leader of the Hero Corp, and I will be hosting this year's Academy Graduation Ceremony. When I was asked to host today's event, I almost didn't accept the invite, as I have only been to the Academy's Graduation once. It happened about 15 years ago. It was the day my son received his Certificate of Completion. But that same day, one of my old enemies decided to crash the party. It was a dire time that year, and I am sad to say that my son did not survive the attack that day." He paused for a moment, wiping a tear away. "Ah, anyway, with that story aside, I would like to introduce this year's graduates." After the first few graduates, it was my time to shine. I stepped onto the stage when Mr. Stone called my name and collected my Certificate and Diploma.

The moment I exited the stage, the ground thundered and cracked. I heard an explosion and all kinds of mayhem outside. Everyone rushed to the window to see what was happening. Creatures of a kind I've never seen before ran through the streets, ravaging everything in sight. In the distance, I saw a particularly large creature bash through the wall of a rather familiar house. He rummaged through the room as if searching for something. 'What is that?' I asked myself. Then I saw someone collapse within the home. At that time, I had experienced a moment of absolute fear. "Grandpa!"


	2. The Hidden Seal

_Chapter 2: **The Hidden Seal**_

"No! Grandpa!" I ran as fast as I could towards my grandfather's house. Mr. Stone followed close behind me. "Hey! Get out of here! It's not safe!" I shook my head and kept running. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stone, but I must save my grandfather. He's still in there!" I ran through the door, only to arrive at the worst possible time, because the instant I entered the room, the evil creature stared me in the eyes and charged. I sat there, paralyzed in fear. I thought I was a goner, but then Mr. Stone burst through the wall, froze the creature in solid ice, and shattered it with his sword. I was astounded. Out of all the research I've done over the years, there could only one solution to how he could be able to successfully create something out of thin air. I think Urkrad Stone was part Elemental, a conjuror of the elements. No doubt about it, how he created ice from nothing was beyond me. It was either that, or he practiced a rather rare kind of magic.

"I'm going back out there. The rest of these creatures need to return from whence they came. Go find your grandfather. I will have a medical team on standby. I will return when you find it." Then he winked at me and said, "Good luck." Before I could answer, he left to deal with the remaining creatures. 'What did he mean by, when I find it? Find what?'

I called my friends Deke and Dane to come over to help me. It took about an hour before I spotted my grandfather pinned under kitchen chandelier. He was very badly bruised and couldn't move, so we tried the best we could to carefully remove the large metal frame of the broken chandelier. Once we got him out of the wreckage, Deke and Dane went out to search for any more survivors.

"Dakre...", my grandfather whispered. "Don't bother saving me, I'm not going to make it." "No! Don't say that Grandpa, I'm not going to let you die!" I cried. "It's too late for me, son. Tell me, have you ever felt as if you were incomplete like you were in a place that doesn't truly seem like home? Have you felt like you were meant for something much greater than you do now?" "Now that you mention it, yeah, I think so." "Then I need you to do something." "What is it?" "Go down to the basement and break the seal. Enter the secret room and when you find it, you will finally...recover what's missing and unveil...your true...destiny."

It was at that sad moment that my grandfather passed away. I heeded his final words and waded through the rubble, towards the basement. When I reached the door, I hesitated for a moment. For most of the time I have lived with Grandpa Bardock, he has told me many times to never go down into the basement. I never knew why, but I've never been down there until now. As I descended further underground, the stone bricks on the walls grew scarce, transitioning to a cave. When I reached the bottom, I was at least a dozen stories down beneath the house.

It was dark, dimly lit by torches hanging off the walls. Towards the end of the cave, I could see a door locked with a seal, the likes of which I've never seen before. My footsteps echoed through the room as I walked towards the door. The closer I got to it, the brighter the seal glowed. The seal cracked, shattered, and disappeared the second I touched it. The door creaked open. In the middle of the room, there lies a stone. Stuck in the stone was a sword made from pure crystal. Out of all the blades I have seen at the local museums, this takes the bait. The only blade that I've heard of that's made entirely of pure crystal was the legendary sword wielded by the last Crystal Knight, Sir Dakre of Bardock. Could this really be the blade from the legend?

"I'm sorry for your loss." I jumped, hearing the loud voice that broke the silence in the room. I turned around and saw Mr. Stone enter the room. I saw a tear roll down his face. "Your grandfather and I have been friends since before you were born. Even I would've done anything to undo what has been done." He looked like he had put up a good fight because I could see a couple cuts and scratches on his chest and face. He was holding his sword by his side, and even that was battle-damaged. Towards the tip of his blade, a small piece had been chipped off. "This is what I meant when I said when you find it." He told me, sheathing his sword. "Everything you've been told about the legend, all those stories, it's all true. The sword you see upon that stone there is the very blade that the last Crystal Knight himself used to drive the Darkness into the Nordic Rift." I couldn't believe it. The singularities, the Crystal Knights, the Crystal Blade of Power, even the Nordic Rift, they're all real.

"This is really hard to believe right now. Give me a minute." I said as I sat down, trying to accept the fact that all those stories are true, along with the fact that my only family left had died. After a minute or two, I got back up, only to stare at the sword of legend that I've only dreamed of, the Crystal Blade of Power. Mr. Stone broke my trance when he told me, "It has been told through the centuries that only the last blood of the last Crystal Knight can wield the power of that blade. Dakre, you are the last living descendant of Sir Dakre himself. You are the key to the future of our world. Now, claim the blade to unlock the power of your ancestors. Take it, and become the Crystal Knight reborn. With you at our side, we can save the world once and for all."

I went up to the stone, grabbed the hilt of the blade, and began to pull. As I tugged on the sword, its blade began to glow. The blade slowly slipped out of the stone. The moment I pulled out the sword, I felt this immense burst of power surging through my body. I even experienced flash memories of a past life, one very similar to the one I've seen in my dreams. The voice called out to me again, only this time, in a prophetic way. "Head to the village of Catamaran, and find the Dirk, the local blacksmith. He will be vital to your journey."

When the transfer was complete, I walked out of the room with a powerful aura surrounding me. Mr. Stone followed me out. When I exited the ruins of the house, I grabbed my grandfather and carried him to where the medical team had been posted. I believed there was still a chance for him to come back, I just had to figure out how. Mr. Stone set his hand on my shoulder, "It's time to go."

As we left town, I began questioning the life I have left behind. Who would have known that I would one day become a member of the legendary Hero Corp.? I told Mr. Stone about my vision, then we make way for the northern village of Catamaran, in search of Dirk the blacksmith. What dangers will we encounter during our adventure?


	3. The Journey Begins

_Chapter 3: **The Journey Begins**_

After a day or two of travel, we decide to camp for the night at one of the local fishing villages near the edge of the Terranea Territory (my homeland). We settled in at a small campsite on the outskirts of the village. After sorting out our stuff, Mr. Stone started asking about the significance of the blacksmith we're looking for. "Did your visions say specifically why we need to find this guy?" I couldn't remember if the voice told me why we needed him. "I actually don't recall being told the reasons why. But he must be important somehow because the voice said he was vital to my mission." "And what is your mission?" "I don't know, exactly..." I scratched my head in confusion. "I'm sure we'll find out soon, though." "I really hope so. I would hate if we did all this travel for nothing. Now, we'd better get some shut-eye. We'll leave tomorrow once we have the supplies we need."

I had another nightmare that night, only this time I was actually able to move around the environment. It looked like I was in a hellish world. Random patches of flames flickered in the distance, and streams of lava flowed from nearby magma spouts. There was no sky, only an endless ceiling covered in glow-stones. My feet sunk down an inch into the soft, sludgy, muck like sand with each step I took. I looked down and saw the faces of thousands of damned souls, trapped within the ground. What chilled me to the bone was the fact that I could see the pale face my grandfather amongst them. As I went to grab him from the crowd, the ground underneath me caved in, and I fell. I landed in what looked like a graveyard of bones. The last thing I saw was a large black mass with glowing white eyes struggling to reach the light up above.

When I woke up the next morning, I decided not to tell Mr. Stone about the dream I had. If I keep having these dreams, I might be able to figure out what they're trying to tell me. Mr. Stone was just getting back from collecting supplies when I unsheathe my sword and began to study the markings etched onto the crystal blade. "Hey, Mr. Stone? Can you read this?" He sighed, "Dakre, you're part of the team now. So please, call me Urkrad. Here, let me take a look." Then he peeked at the glyphs on the blade, "Hmm. It seems to be written in the Primordial Latin used by the Crystal Knights back in the war. I can't read it, but I'm sure my colleague, Mino can help translate them for us. She lives a few miles north of Catamaran, so we'll stop by after picking up the blacksmith."

When we left the village, I asked Urkrad if he knew someone named Valtak. "I do actually. He was one of the toughest fighters I knew. He worked with me in the early days of the Hero Corp. The only problem is, he disappeared a long time ago and I have no idea where to look. What made you ask?" "Well, the voice that's been talking to me in my visions said that the blacksmith was also known as a warrior named Valtak. Do you think this could be the guy that went missing?" "Maybe. The possibility is low, but it could be him. We'll just have to wait until we get there." As we traveled through the Majin Territory, the village of Catamaran came into view.


	4. The Blacksmith

_Chapter 4: **The Blacksmith**_

As we walked through the streets of Catamaran, I couldn't help but stare in awe, seeing how much the place has changed since the last time I visited this town. I remember Rosco's Antique Shop, the local Nomicon Festival, and many other good memories I've made here. I remember living with my parents here when they were still alive. Urkrad snapped in my face! "Hey! Snap out of it, kid." I jumped a little and punched him in the arm. "Geez, don't do that!" I laughed. If I didn't know he was there, he probably would've given me a heart attack. It looked like the village was attacked not too long ago, because some buildings were under reconstruction.

Apparently, the Crystal Blade had a tracking system enchanted to it, because the closer we got to Blacksmiths Forge, the more the blade glowed. I knocked on the door while Urkrad sat down by the forge. "May I help you?" Someone asked from inside. "Yes. I'm looking for Dirk, the blacksmith of this town. "That would be me." The man responded, entering the forge. "And you are?" I laughed, "Oh! Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I am Dakre Dremmer, last descendant of the Crystal Knight, Dakre of Bardock." He shook my hand, "Nice to meet you." Then he whispered to me, "Is it really true that you found the sword?" "How did you know?" "News spreads quickly, I guess." I unsheathe my sword and he was amazed. I sheathed the blade. "Anyway, (Ahem), Mr. Dirk, I would like to reintroduce you to your old friend, Urkrad Stone."

I brought Dirk outside. "Ha! I can't believe it. Urkrad, old friend! How have you been?" He and Dirk did a secret handshake. Dirk was impressed. "Well, I'll be. Even through all these years since we've separated, you still remember our secret shake." "Well, I wouldn't say we separated. It was more like you left and went missing for several years. But still, it's great to have you back." "You know what? This is a great moment for the team. Let me take you to the local Pub. Drinks are on me."

When we entered the bar, everybody cheered, "Valtak's back! Long live our savior!" We sat down and ordered our drinks. "They never call me by my real name anymore. You might as well call me Valtak from now on." While we waited, Urkrad caught up with Valtak's whereabouts from over the years. "So, this is where you disappeared to. What made you choose here?" "Well, I had a feeling in my gut, telling me to come here. When I first arrived here, the village was constantly ambushed by marauders. I couldn't stand to see innocent people powerless against such attacks, so I stepped in and became the towns' guardian. On the days we weren't attacked, I worked as the local blacksmith. I forged weapons for the people so that one day they can defend themselves as a city. I haven't left this place since." When we got our drinks, Valtak proposed a toast, "To Friends old and new." We raise our glasses, "To friends!"

After we drank, "So what do you need me for? And how did you find me?" "Dakre, your turn to talk." Urkrad and Valtak turned to me. "Well, when I found the Crystal Blade, I had visions of a past life that I now believe to be mine, somehow, and then I saw a bright light. Its voice called to me and told me of my mission. He said that you were an important piece to this puzzle of a journey. I'm not entirely sure what else he said, cuz' the visions faded before he could finish. And it was the glow of the blade that lead us to you." "Huh. I'm going to tag along with you guys, then. It's time to fulfill the prophecy as it was foretold."

Valtak called to the crowd, "Fellow citizens, due to certain matters, I must leave town for a while. But do not fret, my friends, as you are in good hands. The weapons I have forged over the years are for you. Use them to rebel against the marauders and end their reign over us! Train hard, work hard, and you will rise to become one of the greatest cities in the world! Farewell, my good people, and good luck."

We left the tavern, not quite sure where to head next. I remind Urkrad about the glyphs on my sword. "Right. Dakre has found some glyphs on his sword, but we can't translate them. So we decided to stop by Mino's place after picking you up here. Her shack should be about 5 miles north from here." "Well, that's no good," Valtak warned. "Why?" "Go any farther north and you'll have to go through the mountain range." "It shouldn't be too hard, right?" I asked. Valtak shook his head and trudged along, "It's not as easy as you think, kid."

We leave the town of Catamaran, heading towards the northern mountain range. I was afraid that it would take too much time, so we tried out Valtak's latest creation. "What is this strange, mechanical device?" "I call it a car. It's the very first of its kind. This will revolutionize modern transportation as we know it. Instead of a week on foot, or a few days on a horse & buggy, a car can get you places faster and farther within only a few hours." "That's amazing! This will make our journey a whole lot shorter." "Not quite. This is still a prototype, meaning it won't last long at all. After a while, we'll have to travel on foot, anyway. You can't climb mountains with this thing."

We stopped at the base of the mountains, looking for an easy way to climb. I spot a staircase leading all the way to the top, wrapping around the terrain. About a third of the way up, we follow a trail leading to a rather nice cabin in the distance. There was a sign on the door saying, 'Friends, Members & Family Only'. "This must be it." I crack open the door and peek inside. Someone inside was cleaning up the place. "Come on in," she said. "There's no need to sneak a peek." We enter the cabin and stand at the entrance. "Ah, long time no see. Looks like Valtak finally came back, and I see you brought a new member?" "Yes. Mino, this is Dakre Dremmer, last living descendant of the Crystal Knight, Dakre of Bardock."


	5. The Story

_Chapter 5: **The Story**_

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Ms. Mino. Urkrad has told me a lot about you." "Indeed, he has. And just call me Mino and drop the Ms. please." "Sorry. Just a little nervous." "That's ok. It happens." Mino stretched a bit. "So, I assume you came here for my help with something?" "Yes." Urkrad told her. "On our travels to Catamaran, Dakre found some glyphs on the blade of his sword. We couldn't read them, so we came here to see if you could translate them for us." "Alright, let me see the blade." I unsheathe my sword to show her. The blade glowed the color of her cloak.

Mino lowered her hood, revealing... metal? The left half of her face was covered in some kind of metal mesh, along with her entire right arm. "Shocking, isn't it? It took a while to get used to it, but it works." I lay astounded. "Now that is cool. Well, metal or not, you still look beautiful." Mino blushed at my compliment, "How sweet, thank you." "(ahem) Anyway, how did you end up like this?" I asked her. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't believe me if I told you." "Try me, sweetheart." "Hey!" Urkrad swatted me on the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?" "No flirting with her, you hear me?" "Why not?" "Because I said so! If you want to stay a part of the team, you need to restrain yourself. Understand?" "Yeah yeah, whatever." I think I might be developing a crush on this girl. "Sorry. Please tell your story. What happened?"

"Before I joined the team as Urkrad's student, I would go on my own to unlock the secrets of the ancient world. I traveled across the world on my journeys, finding lost artifacts along the way. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one who was curious. Malsauro sent one of his deranged cronies, Shado, to follow me on my travels. One day, I was exploring an old tomb and came across a gem-like artifact. To my dismay, Shado had followed me, as usual. A battle for possession of the artifact had begun. I was gravely injured, so much in fact that I was almost on the brink of death. With all the strength I had left, I grabbed the artifact and hoped for the best. Before Shado could strike again, the gem glowed and blasted him out of the tomb. The light from the gem spread across my body like the cracks in stones. The only thing I knew next was pain. Strangely enough, the pain, along with the gem's light, only surrounded the areas that were brutally damaged. When the light dimmed, the pain succeeded and what was left in its place was metal. It was as if the metal had fused with my skin, so now my newly metallized limbs no longer feel pain."

"After this occurrence, I decided to return here until I had healed, though there were still many ancient artifacts I wished to find. I haven't seen Shado following me for the past few weeks, so I guess he was pretty beaten due to that aftershock. All I do now is practice this new power that I've been granted, thanks to this gem." She lifts her hair a bit and taps on the emerald gem embedded in her forehead. "All that's left to do is master it." "Nice. We could use your help along our journey. That is, if you choose to join the group." I offered. "Before I answer that, let's get back to business. The sword..." "Oh, right!" I hand Mino the sword, then sat back down.

"Hmm. I've seen these symbols before somewhere during my travels. But don't worry, I can translate them. It says, 'open the hatch on the end of the hilt and read the final message.' Huh, there must be a note hidden in a secret compartment." Mino turns over the sword and removes a small cover off the end of the hilt. She reveals a note that reads, 'If you have found and now wield this blade, you are destined to save the world from utter destruction. The Darkness has been foretold to return and you must be ready to stop it. I have entrusted the secrets to unlocking this sword's power to the Strouse family. I have friends in this family who I've given the duty of conveying the secrets to the next owner of this blade.'

"I believe this message is from the Crystal Knight himself, passed down to you, Dakre." She said, handing me the note. She paused for a moment, returned my sword, then spoke again. "Um, about your question from earlier, I'd love to join you on your journey, but I still need to regain some strength, especially after my encounter with the gem. But, I will try to catch up with you guys when I'm able. I would probably suggest heading east towards the capital. I've heard rumors of fiery creatures attacking towns and burning down forests during the night. If you leave now, you might make it there before the tonight's sun set." A few minutes later we started getting ready to leave. Mino stopped me by the door. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again, Dakre." "Me too." She kissed me on the cheek and waved goodbye. "Good luck on your travels."


	6. The Firefight, Part 1

_Chapter 6: **The Firefight, Part 1**_

As we headed down the mountain, I couldn't stop thinking about Mino. "Hey, Urkrad? This might be sudden, but, how old is Mino?" Urkrad didn't answer. "Don't worry about it, kid. The silent treatment only lasts a little while." Valtak told me, patting me on the back. "Well, I only asked just because I was curious. I'd just like to know more about her, that's all." That was true, at least a little bit. I have a feeling that Mino and I have some kind of special connection or something like that. Urkrad stopped and sighed. "Well, if you're that curious to know, she's a year younger than you. Now, let's get going!"

"Jeez, I was just asking. Why do you have to be so tense? You weren't like this when we first got here." Urkrad suddenly turned around and punched me in the face with blunt force. The blow stunned me for a moment. "Let's get something straight, here. I do not like the idea of someone like you and my daughter getting together in any kind of relationship, and if you have a problem with that, you can go ahead, go back home, and get out of my sight!" He shouted. "Hey, if I would've known she was your daughter, I would've listened to what you said! And if you haven't noticed by now, I don't have a home anymore! It burned to the ground the day the day you came to town! My home was destroyed because of you! You left my grandfather to die!"

I pull out my sword and point it at him. "I will follow you on this journey, but I will not take orders from someone who let's their friends die. I think it's time for a change in leadership." "Why, you!..." Urkrad grabbed his sword and rushed at me. Our swords clashed as the fight began. He knocks my blade out of the way and slashes at me. Somehow, his sword just bounces off my body. It seems like the power from the Crystal Blade has made me immune to damage. I advance and attack faster than before. Urkrad parried each attack with ease. Though he was a skilled swordsman, he wasn't too fast in melee combat. I knock his sword from his a hand and knocked him down with a swift kick. He tried getting up, but I held him down with my foot and aim the my blade at his neck. "Ok, ok! I give up. You win." He pleaded.

I remove my foot and sheath my sword. "A fair fight, but an unworthy opponent. I will take command of the Hero Corp." "Very well." I helped him up. He shrugged the pain away as if he pretended to be defeated. "Heh. Not bad." He smiled, but frowned a few seconds later. "I must warn you, that is a big burden you're putting upon yourself." "I know. I'll manage." After a few minutes of cooling down, I get us back on topic. "The letter said that the Crystal Knight had entrusted the secrets of the Crystal Blade to the Strouse family. The only question is, where are they?" Valtak raised his hand. "Yes?" "From what I know, the Strouse's are somehow related to the Royal family, who happen to govern the capital." He answered. "I don't quite know, but Mino did told us about the attacks near there. We should head there and see what's going on. Maybe we'll find clues there." "

We hurried back down the mountain and returned to Valtak's 'automobile'. Thanks to his creation, we were able to reach the outskirts of the capital right when the sun started setting. We stop at the entrance. I thought I heard something, so I looked around. I had the feeling that we weren't alone, then one of the trees nearby caught fire as a blazing arrow shot straight through the trunk, impaling itself into the the wall behind me, mere inches from my head. "Heads up, guys. We got company." I shouted. In the distance, I saw a graveyard. From the tombstones, skeletal bodies rose from the ground and spontaneously combusted. Some of the creatures took advantage of it and shot at us with makeshift archery equipment; the others wielded swords and axes. Then I noticed something particularly peculiar about them. The leader of the group looked like it was wearing a gem around it's neck; it seemed more alive than the others. The gem's shape reminded me of an artifact I had researched a long time ago.

"Charge!" It yelled in a disembodied voice. They ran towards us like a pack of wolves, burning everything in their path. We armed ourselves as they got closer, preparing for a fiery battle. Blade met blade, and arrows were deflected. We were struggling to fend them off and desperate for a new plan. I tried to think of something, but all that came to mind was 'summoning our own army'. All of a sudden, my sword began to glow.


	7. The Firefight, Part 2

_Chapter 7: **The Firefight, Part 2**_

A strange, purple aura emanated from the Crystal Blade. I'm not entirely sure why, but by pure instinct, I plunged the blade into the ground in front of me. The area began to shake and shudder as small fissures began to spread. From the cracks rose the skeletal bodies of the many generations of previous guardians of the capital. They formed ranks and attacked the enemy. Valtak was almost tempted to retreat, as he thought they would've tried to attack us instead. "I don't know how you did that, Dakre, but keep it up. The enemy is outnumbered."

Valtak and Urkrad fell back and watched my undead army fighting fire with fire. When the enemy numbers fell to just the leader, it used it's gem to summon even more minions. I had to get to that stone somehow, but then an idea popped in my head. "Destroy the minions!" I called out. "Their leader is mine!" The undead soldiers ceased fire on the gem and spread out against the enemy. I left my sword in the ground and charged at the commander head on. Focusing my power on my dominant arm, I literally shattered him into a million pieces with a fast uppercut to the gut. The moment I smashed it's heart-stone, the fire doused itself and the enemy skeletons collapsed down and sunk back into the ground.

Urkrad retrieved my sword, then the fissures in the ground disappeared. My undead army stopped, turned to us, waved goodbye, and turned to dust. "I think you might have discovered one of the sword's secrets." Urkrad told me. "Yeah. I've noticed that a little bit. And I don't think that was the last of the swords' secrets, either. Still, it's pretty cool. The blade can empower itself with the energy of whatever comes to mind during combat." As we brush off the dust and ash from the battle, a representative from the capital rushed in our direction to thank us. "Thank you, Hero Corp. for protecting our city. The royal Family has invited you to the castle to be knighted, as special thanks for your heroic actions." "Well, it is our job to help, after all." "Ha! Follow me, please."

The representative takes us to the castle complex of the capital. He stops us at the doors of the throne room. "Please wait here. I will call for you when her majesty's ready." As the representative exits the room, Urkrad gathers us in a huddle. "Ok. When we go through those doors, the whole city will be watching us, so be formal and appropriate when we go. I don't mind if you wave and smile a little, but don't do anything foolish. After this is done, we are going to meet with her majesty once everyone has left. I'd like to ask her if she knows where the Strouse family lives and where we might find some answers." "Alright, let's do this. For the team!"

The representative peeks through the door, "Queen will see you now. This way, please." We pass through great doors and enter the throne room. As we walk down the pathway, I notice a few of the guards leaving the area, which actually seemed a little weird. I thought the guards were to remain in the room when the Queen is present. Whatever. We reach the throne and kneel before the Queen. "Esteemed warriors of the Hero Corp." She announced. "I have summoned you here today because of your previous heroic actions for saving this dear city. As thanks, I shall be presenting to each of you a Medal of Honor." After receiving our medals, we lined up for the knighting. The Queen revealed her sword and tapped our shoulders. "Rise, Knights of the Hero Corp." Soon after the applause ended and people started leaving, Urkrad requested a small chat with her majesty.

Once the room was empty, I went and locked the doors upon the Queen's request. "I'm sorry for having you lock the doors, but if we need to talk, then I need to make sure no one else is watching. What was is that you wanted to know?" "We found a note within the hilt of Dakre's sword that says that the secrets to unlocking the blade's power had been entrusted to the Strouse family. From what we know, the Strouses are somehow connected to the Royal Family. I was wondering if this was true and if so, where might we find them." "Well, you definitely came to the right place, young knight. Yes, the Strouse's have been serving my family for generations. Where they live, I don't know. But I do know that one of the eldest sons works for the blacksmith in the city of Catamaran. Hopefully this info has shed some light on your journey." I trade looks with Valtak. "Yes, it certainly has." I reply. "Thank you for lending your time for us, your highness. I hope we didn't take you too far off schedule." "No, no, it's fine. It was a relief to finally take some time off. Anyway, farewell, young knights. Take care on your travels."

After saying our farewells, we exit the castle complex and roam around town for a few minutes. I stop Valtak near one of the shops. "So, it seems like you have an apprentice you haven't told us about. Care to fill us in about it?" "His name is Ben. When I first met him, I had no idea who he was, or where he came from. He just walked up to me and asked if I needed any help with whatever I was working on. I decided to make him my apprentice, since he showed an interest in my work. So I trained him to hopefully become my replacement for when it was my time to retire." "So, why didn't you bring him out to meet us when we arrived at your forge?" "I had him take the week off so he could visit with his family, just to make it fair. By the time we get back to Catamaran, he should be starting his first shift as my replacement."

"You knew about this the whole time and you didn't tell us?" "Hey! I never would've known if he was that important, especially when I met him. Anyway, he's a nice kid, and I'm sure he'd be eager to meet you when we get there." Just before we headed out, a hawk screeched in the distance. Urkrad put on a leather glove and raised his arm out. The hawk landed and perched on his glove. He removed a small piece of parchment paper that was tied around the bird's foot and released the hawk. "It's a note from Mino. It says she has finished her work and will be meeting with us back in Catamaran."

So then we were on our way back to Catamaran to go meet Valtak's apprentice. Mino would meet us there once we arrived. And just like she said before we left her place, we were both looking forward to see each other again, and maybe get to know her better. I know Urkrad disapproves of me with her, but I'm sure he'll mellow out about it eventually. Only time will tell.


	8. The Trap

_Chapter 8: **The Trap**_

The journey back to the city of Catamaran was a long one, so I took the time to patch things up with Urkrad, especially since I became the leader of the group. "You know, I'm sorry for ticking you off earlier when we left Mino's place. I was just curious at the time." "That's ok. A lot of other people went through that same situation like you did, except you were the only one that was able to beat me." "What happened to the others?" "They almost died, so I sent them home." "Huh. Anyway, once we get back to Valtak's forge and meet Ben, we need to find out if his dad passed the secrets of my sword down to him. If not, we'll just have to find his dad, if he's still alive." "Sounds like a plan." "So, are we square?" "Yeah, we're square."

As we travelled, I've noticed that my armor had turned a darkish grey color. Before, it was a shiny silver. Every once and while, I could see a flicker of a dark aura, like a thin mist or smoke, which I found fairly peculiar. I think it might have something to do with the weird power surge I felt when I first grabbed to Crystal Blade. It was like the divine power of the Crystal Blade had clashed with whatever power I already possessed, and not in a good way either. I wanted to talk to the others about it, but a small part me wouldn't allow it. I don't know why, but it felt like I had a connection to a darker form of power, one that some would consider evil. But that couldn't be it, because I was destined to save the world. Why would a chosen hero contain such dark power? I had to investigate this further. But that would have to wait, I could sense something wrong in Catamaran.

When we reach Catamaran, is was if the entire town went silent. The citizens were nowhere to be found and all of the buildings were locked. We reach the Valtak's Forge and find a young man crafting strange looking weapons. Valtak walks up to him, "Ben, what is this?" He holds up what looks like to a shadow dagger. "Your supposed to be making weapons and armor for the people. These 'things' are not the weapons I told you make!" Ben didn't stop working. "Hey! Turn around and face me when I'm talking to you, boy!" He dropped whatever he was working on and turned around and revealed a badly burnt face. "My god, Ben! What happened to you?" "He burned me for not listening to him." He answered. "And he'll hurt me more if I don't make those weapons for him." "Who are you talking about? Who ordered you to make these?" "My friend did." What kind of cretin needs shadow weapons? "Why would your friend do such a thing? Who does he think he is?" All of a sudden, Ben sends a powerful uppercut to Valtak's gut, causing him to drop in pain, stunned. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" He smirks, then whistles, "Come on out, guys!"

Out of nowhere, a group of thugs, known as the Cragstone Corp., enter the forge. Ben walked over, joined the group, and peeled off his burnt facial scars to reveal his true face as Shado, one of Malsauro's cronies. His form shifted and transformed into a large shadow creature. We could see the battle scar from his last encounter with Mino a month back. "Looking for someone?" A deep voice called out. The group of thugs move out of the way and Malsauro himself enters the room, carrying what looks like the real Ben. "Good work, Shado. You're officially reinstated to the Cragstone Corp. And thank you, Urkrad for leading us here, right to Valtak's Forge. Any last words before I end you here and now?"

"Yeah, behind you!" I yelled. He turned around, only to find nothing there. I whistle loudly, springing our trap. Mino bursts through the wall and knocks down the evil brute. "Am I late?" She winked. "Just as planned." I said. We take up arms and fight back. Shado immediately went after Mino for revenge, but I couldn't let him. "I don't think so. You're mine." I told him. With the power of the Crystal Blade, I fought my way through the crowd, towards Shado. "You!" He yelled. He mumbled something in an arcane language and summoned 2 of the biggest swords I've ever seen. "I'll chop you to bits! Die!"

He was way stronger than what Mino described. Our battle shook the foundation of the forge. I focused my power on the Crystal Blade and tried to think of something that could withstand the might of Shado's swords. My mask, along with the Crystal Blade glowed. I shoved the shapeshifter back and summoned a rather sturdy shield. Now with full defense, I could block Shado's attacks without delaying my own attacks.

Throughout the fight, I felt my power grow more intense. So much in fact that my body started to emit a thin smoke. It even grew to a point to where I could no longer channel the power of my sword. My shield slowly faded. I fought Shado harder and harder until his weapons shattered beneath the strength of my blade. Without thinking, I kicked him to the ground and prepared a swift execution. To his luck, I missed as he rolled out of the way. "Screw this, I'm out! Retreat!" He cried as he ran, with the other. Urkrad had to grab me before I went out of control, calming me down. The smoke disappeared and I was back to normal.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Malsauro roared. "Come back here, coward!" Before long, only he was left standing, unscathed and alone. "Let him go, Sal. You have no control over him. (So much for the mighty Cragstone Corp.)" Valtak told him. Malsauro drops Ben, grabs Valtak by the neck and pins him to the wall, "Do not call me by that name, weakling! Sal is dead! He chose his path a long time ago. I am Malsauro, Lord of Shadows & Rightful Ruler of this world, and my mission is to destroy every Light-haven seal here in order to free Teridax from the Nordic Rift."

"Let Valtak go." I told the brute. "And just who might you be, halfling?" "I am Dakre Dremmer, the newest member of the Hero Corp., the Chosen One, and I am destined to destroy the darkness once and for all." He lets go of Valtak and shoves him back towards us. "You? The Chosen One? Don't make me laugh. You can't possibly believe that you can defeat the darkness on your own." "He's not alone." Mino steps beside me. "He may be new to saving the world, but he has a power that even you will never possess." "And what would that be? Love? Teamwork? Friends?" "No, Dakre's the only one who can wield the legendary Crystal Blade." Malsauro laughed. "Impossible. The sword doesn't even exist. It's a myth." I march up to him, "Oh really?" I unsheathed my sword to prove him wrong. He reeled back in fear, cowering from the power before him.

"Aw, what's the matter? Tough guy afraid of a mythical sword?" I taunted. Before I noticed, the brute pointed in my direction, muttered "No", and shot me in the chest with a concentrated beam of energy, just missing the vital organs. The beam had pierced my left lung. I grasp my chest in pain, trying to catch my breath. My legs buckled and I fell to my knees. Mino kneeled beside me, "Dakre! Are you okay?" "Of course not. I can barely breath!" "Then let's get you patched up. Give me your arm." As she carried me away, Malsauro left me a final message before leaving. "You may have the power to stop me, but you don't even have the power to protect yourself. May we meet again one day, young legend, if you recover, that is." He laughed, then disappeared into the smoke.

After Malsauro had left, Valtak went and grabbed Ben and slung him over his shoulder. "Poor kid. For all I know, he could've been traumatized by the brute. I swear, when we find Malsauro again, I will tear out his heart-stone and smash it to bits." "Well, let's try to get Ben and Dakre back on their feet first. You'll get your chance." Valtak looks around the forge. The whole building had been destroyed during the battle. "Aw, heck. Our fight trashed the whole place. It would take me forever to clean up this mess." Urkrad placed his hand on Valtak's shoulder, "It's ok. We can just rebuild the place when this is over." "Yeah, I guess you're right." "Hey, what's that?" I asked, weakly pointing towards one of the weapons that Shado had created with the forge. Urkrad grabbed the Shadow Blade and examined it. "This weapon contains a fair amount of dark magic. With enough of these, Malsauro would be able to open a portal to the Nordic Rift, but only one strong enough to let someone in, not out. Get trapped in there, you're stuck in Hell forever with no way out."


	9. The Split

_Chapter 9: **The Split**_

Valtak led us to the house he had taken residence at when he first arrived in town. The moment we stepped through the door, Valtak rushed over to grab a med kit. "Mino, you go and patch up Dakre and I'll go help Ben. We can't afford to lose either of them." "Got it." Urkrad blocks her. "No. I will do it." "Why can't I take care of him? He trusts me. And I trust him." Urkrad turned around and pointed a finger at her, "Because I said so! I don't trust him to be with you alone, and I will deny any kind of relationship between you two." "What are you talking about? We're not 'that' close. We're just friends. And don't be so harsh on him. As far as I know, he hasn't done anything wrong. Also, I don't 'need' to listen to your 'orders' anymore, especially since you're no longer the leader of the team. Give me a chance to grow up, will you?" Urkrad gave Mino the death stare. After that, she shied away and sat down on a nearby chair. "It's fine if you are just friends, but no farther than that. Understood?" "Ok." Urkrad checked the severity of my injury before bandaging it up. "Good news. The shot isn't fatal and didn't pierce the lung. But it did get bruised up pretty bad, so be careful about your power usage. You don't want to make it worse." "Got it." Even after being patched up, I still had a hard time breathing. But I had the feeling that something else was wrong.

"Do you think you'll be able to stand up?" He asked. "I..I can try." It was a pain trying to stand up. A few moments after I got up, I felt a sudden shock of electricity throughout my whole body. It felt like some kind of barrier had cracked, as if something was trying to escape. I stumbled and fell, but Mino caught me before I could hit the floor. The pain died down just as suddenly as it started, and I thought I saw what looked like a shadow version of myself staring directly at me, smiling. I blinked and the figure was gone. "Are you alright?" Mino asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little fazed." I painfully let out a sigh. "How's the apprentice?" "Ben? He's doing fine. He should be coming around soon." Valtak answered. I laid the Crystal Blade down on the table. "Good. Because when he comes to, we need to ask him about this sword."

About a half an hour passed, then Ben the Apprentice enters the room. "How are you feeling, kid?" Valtak asked. "Your head still hurt?" "Yea, a little bit. Who are these guys?" I limp over and introduce myself. "I'm Dakre Dremmer, keeper of the Crystal Blade, and the newest edition of the Hero Corp. I've heard about you, when we visited the Queen." He shakes my hand, "Cool", then turns towards Urkrad. "Then I guess your Urkrad Stone? I've heard a lot about you and your team." He paused for a moment, then, "This is about the Crystal Blade, isn't it?" I was actually surprised. "How'd you know that?" He chuckled, "Well, people don't just suddenly show up with a relic of legend, do they? Besides, only the chosen one can wield such a blade of magnificent power, right?" "Right."

"So, what would you like to know? Secrets? Hidden abilities? Just ask away." I thought for a second, "I'm gonna say secrets. Besides that fact that the sword is imbued with the power of the Omni-God of Light, what other powers does it possess?" "Hmm… That's actually a very good question. Give me a sec to think quick. Ah, yes, it's powers. Based on what my father had told me, there are 3 different powers residing within the sword. One of them is the ability to create whatever comes to the wielder's mind, depending one whatever power they currently have. The second power can only be activated when in dire need. For example: If you were in a fight against an enemy stronger than you, the blade will begin emitting an aura powerful enough to drain the enemy of their own power. The only way to do it, though, is to cut them somewhere, in order for the aura's effects to work. And finally, the last power is believed to actually be an upgrade for the weapon itself. It has never been tested, but if you gather enough power within yourself and merge it with the power of the sword, you could possibly create an exact duplicate of the sword, which could also create an energy boost, due to twice the divine power. However, the reason why it has never been tested is because every past wielder of the sword had died from instant power loss. Mostly because you need to equal the power of the blade itself, and those who died failed to acquire said power. And whatever power they did generate would just be absorbed back into the sword, making it stronger."

"That would probably explain why I felt a sudden burst of energy when I first touched the blade." Ben looked at me weirdly, "No, I wouldn't say that's the case. I sense a dark aura around you, Dakre. Whatever power you possess is clashing with the energy of the sword, and not the way you'd want to think. Your armor wasn't always black, was it?" "No, it wasn't." I answered. "When I first attained the Crystal Blade, I was wearing a set of shiny silver armor. Then a while later, when Urkrad and I were heading here to Catamaran, I felt the power surge again, but not as intense, and my armor slowly turned black and started emitting some kind of dark mist."

I doubled over again, the pain even worse than before. The barrier that I felt within me earlier had cracked even more, this time I heard it. Whatever's inside had poked a hole through it. Not only now did I see the dark figure, I could hear it, too. The dark mist from my armor grew thicker and began to spread, affecting the others. I was trying hard to control whatever was doing this, but my attempts had failed. The hole in the barrier had gotten bigger, and all the pain I was experiencing only got worse. "You can't stop the inevitable." Said a voice, somewhere in the room. "Once the barrier is broken, I shall be free." I sat up and looked around, searching for the source of the voice. Then the dark figure appeared before me.

"Who are you?" I asked. The figured laughed. "I thought you'd know by now. I'm you." I looked towards the others. "Don't bother them." He said, "They can't see me, but you can." "No. This can't be real. You can't be real!" "Oh, but I am. I'm very real. I'm the dark power that you had possessed until now. And thanks to your little quarrel with Malsauro, I will soon be free." "What makes you think that I will ever let that happen?" "Don't play stupid with me, You know all too well of the truth. The barrier you feel breaking right now is the dark side of your Heart-Stone. I am the pure embodiment of your dark power." I laughed. "If you are all powerful, then why are you still here? Wouldn't you have broken free from me when you had the chance?" That seemed to confuse him. He scratched his head, or rather, our head. He growled. "Well aren't you a smart one. I've gathered enough strength to tear you to shreds, but I'm not gonna deal with you just yet. Considering I came from your Heart-Stone, if you die, I'll be nothing more than a mere shadow of yourself, powerless."

I felt a sharp pain within my body. My shadow-self disappeared and the dark side of my Heart-Stone (where the barrier was), shattered. An arm forced its way through my chest as the split had begun. My body was paralyzed with pain as the dark figure within split away from myself. When the split was complete, the pain subsided and an 'X' shaped scar formed on my chest. The dark power that I've been trying to control has now escaped. I am now free from the Darkness that I unknowingly possessed. The others had witnessed everything that happened within the past few minutes and armed themselves against the new adversary. The dark figure, which I called the 'AntiDakre', smirked and disappeared from sight.

"Who was that?" Mino asked. "That, is the dark side of me."


	10. Close Connections

Chapter 10: **_Close Connections_**

"I call him Quazar, the 'Anti-Dakre'. It seems that he's a manifestation of the dark power that I've been born with. Now that he's free, I'm stuck with half of a Heart-Stone. If it weren't for Malsauro, I would've still had the other half of it." It felt as if I lost a bit of weight within my power. It feels great, I've never felt so alive. My armor no longer emitted black mist and had returned to its original shiny silver color. Even though I have half of a Heart-Stone, I still functioned at full health. The battle wound that Malsauro inflicted had healed, but the 'X' scar remained visible from the split. I got up and slowly walked towards the bathroom to wash up. I winced a little bit, as the scar still hurt from the split. "Does it hurt much?" "What?" I turn around and see Mino standing in the doorway. "That scar, does it hurt?" "It stings a little, but it'll be fine." "It's great to see that you're still alive, even after the shattering of your Heart-Stone. I don't know what I would've done if Malsauro would've killed you. I'm just happy that you're okay." "So am I."

Before she walked away, I told her, "Thank you." "For what?" She asked. "For taking care of me." Mino blushed, then chuckled a little bit. "Well, I wouldn't say I did all the help, my dad did to most of the work." "Yeah, but he doesn't care for me like you do. You answered my call when I was unsure about the situation in Catamaran. You kissed me on the cheek when we left your place and told me you were looking forward to seeing me again. I don't think he would have done the same. I've been wanting to say something since the day we first met. I like you, and I will do everything in my power to protect you. Urkrad may have healed my wounds, but you've healed my heart in ways you can't imagine." Mino smiled. I think she even had a tear in her eye, but I couldn't tell. She ran up to me and hugged me. "I like you, too." She whispered. After she let go, "I'm gonna to speak with Ben and Valtak to see if we can't find a way to track your dark evil clone. And don't mention us together in here to my dad. We both know he doesn't approve of the connection between us. Promise?" "Promise." "Ok, then let's go. You must be starving after all that's been going on. Go and get something to eat." "Good idea."

Mino left and returned to the common room while I went and made a sandwich in the kitchen. The fights, the split and my injuries were making me hungry. As I ate the pain from the scar slowly faded away. When I returned to the common room, everyone was waiting. "So what's the scoop? Have you guys thought of anything that could be helpful in finding Quazar?" I asked. "Funny you should ask." Valtak answered. "Mino asked Ben and I if it was possible to create something that can track him." "And is it?" "Yes, already working on it. But since he has the other half of your Heart-Stone, you two have to be connected somehow, and we're gonna need to hook up the device to your half, if you're alright with that." "If it's gonna help track him, then you have my permission. Call for me when the device is ready. I'm gonna go take a walk." Mino followed. "I'll come with you." She said. Before Urkrad could stop her, Valtak stopped him. "I know you don't like it, but it's her choice. Let her go. She wants to go with him." The last thing I heard from Urkrad before we left was a low growl.

While Mino and I took a stroll around town, "Do you think it'll work? The plan, I mean." She asked. I shrugged, "I don't know, but I sure hope so. Whatever Quazar has planned, it can't be good. And if Malsauro gets a hold of him, he'll be able to counter our plans." "What do you mean?" "I'm saying that even though Quazar and I are separated, since we share part of a Heart-Stone, we are connected to a point to if he dies, I die, vice versa. We need to find out a way to nullify his power and remove his half of the Heart-Stone without killing the both of us in the process. I need the other half if I'm to recover my full strength." After that, silence passes. As we walked, Mino spotted a group of people trying to douse the fire that had engulfed the remains of the Blacksmith's Forge. "Hey, we should go help them. We are partially responsible for it anyway." Said Mino.

We ran over to the man running the group and offered to help. He was a little hesitant at first, but then he noticing the Crystal Blade sheathed on my belt, he told us we could help all we'd like. After a while, the fire had finally died down and we were able to put it out. "Thanks for helping out." The leader of the group. "We're sorry about what happened over there, but there's no need to worry. Thanks to you we have learned that this city needs to learn how to protect its people. Now that the forge is gone, we can build an armory for weapon storage." After we said our goodbyes, Ben ran over and said, "It's device is ready." I turned towards him. "Good. The Hunt begins."


	11. The Argument

Chapter 11: _**The Argument**_

When we arrived back at Valtak's place, everyone was waiting. Valtak pulled out a strange looking device. "What is that?" I ask. "I call it a Homing Beacon. When hooked up to a power source, it can track anything linked to that specific power source. I believe that if we use this with your Heart-Stone, we might be able to track down that evil counterpart of yours." Obviously this was good news to hear. The sooner we catch Quazar, the better. "Alright then, let's hook it up." As Valtak hooked up the device, he warned, "This might hurt a bit." I'm like, "Please. Don't tempt me, I can handle it." "Well, if you insist." He switched the device on and electricity surged through my body. And man, did it hurt like hell. 'And I thought the split hurt, too.' I thought. It didn't hurt as much as the split, but it sure felt like it. Mino sat by my side the whole time, helping the others make sure I wouldn't pass out. I held her hand throughout the process.

When the device finally stopped, a little bulb on the side of it began to glow. Then a screen appeared and displayed a map of the region. Towards the Southeast edge of the map, there was a glowing red dot on the move. Urkrad smiled. "There he is. He's headed towards Paxion Ridge." "And that's where we'll go." I answered. "Now get this thing off me." After removing the device, I blanked out for a moment, then heard Quazar's voice in the back of my head. It was as if I could hear he was thinking. 'The Staff of Trinity is the key to opening the crypt, but where is the staff? I must find it!' I snapped awake as if someone pinched me. "I know what he's after." I told them. "Huh? What're you talking about?" "I heard his thoughts just now. He's searching for something called the Staff of Trinity. He says it's the key to opening an ancient crypt." "That's not good news at all." Said Urkrad. "The Staff of Trinity can only open one specific crypt, the Tomb of the Crystal Knight. The ancient warrior himself had hidden the Staff from the world to prevent wrong-doers from taking his weapons and armor." "Well, then we'll just have to find it before Quazar does. When we find the crypt, we'll track the Staff from there."

Valtak shook his head, "Only one problem, we don't even know where to start!" Then I answered, "Well, then how about use the Crystal Blade to find the staff? From what I learned from my Grandfather's stories, the Sword and the Staff were created around the same time, at the same forge. The Staff must have been made from the same material that was used for the hilt of the Crystal Blade." "You do make a valid point, but we might not need to." Urkrad replied. "Quazar knows where the crypt is, but he doesn't have the Staff. He might be on a lead to where it might be. Once he finds the Staff, we can follow him undetected to the crypt. There we can ambush him." "Then let's be on our way. On to Paxion Ridge." Just after we exit the hut, Ben stops at the door, "I'm gonna stay here and help the people rebuild. I've never really been the fighting type, and I plan on staying that way. Be safe on your journey."

The journey to Paxion Ridge was a long one. We traveled for days on end, stopping occasionally to gather supplies, and when we needed to, we would rest. As Mino and I travelled side-by-side, I had begun to feel a little uncomfortable around Urkrad, who had been staring me down each moment I was near his daughter. "I think you're dad's on to us." I whispered. "I would've figured he would've found out about our little meeting. He's real finicky when it comes to accepting my decisions against his own, especially in our case. Eventually he'll come to terms with reality." She sighed. I could tell by the expression on her face that she was depressed. "He just doesn't want to let me go. He thinks I'm not ready to go on my own, certainly convinced that 'we' will never happen as long as he's here, and he won't let me follow my feelings. Sometimes I just wish he would let me choose my fate, so I could be free. I don't want him to control my life anymore."

She laid her head upon my shoulder as she silently cried. I tried to calm her down. I look behind me to make sure Urkrad was out of hearing distance, "You know what? After this is all done, let's run off together, just the two of us. We won't be bothered by your father anymore. We'll be free, we both will. And we could have a life together, possibly even start a family. And I promise, if Urkrad ever does any harm to you, I will protect you, no matter what happens." From beneath the sadness that had overwhelmed her, I caught a glimpse of a feeling that the average person would call, 'Love'. "Maybe as a last resort. It'd also might be better if we worked together as a team, not as a couple. That way my dad won't be so rough on you." She said, feeling slightly better. I comforted her for the next half hour. At around that time, Urkrad just couldn't handle it anymore. "Alright you two, split it up. Mino, you stay put. I need to talk to Dakre in private." Before we left, Mino told me, "Don't let him intimidate you."

Urkrad lead me to an abandoned hut in the middle of the woods, a few minutes ahead of the others. "I've just about had it with you. I have told you time and time again to stay away from my daughter! But no matter how much I tell you, you won't listen." "Ok, let's get something straight here, Urkrad. May I remind you that I beat you in battle and took your role as leader of the team, so don't talk to me as if I'm still a child. I was speaking with Mino earlier, and she told me that you refuse to let her choose her own path, that you control her life. Is this true?" "I don't have to tell you anythi..." "Answer me when I ask a question! Is what Mino told me true or not?" I could see the anger in his eyes, but he caught himself in time. "Well? Is it?" "Yes it's true. I must admit that I've been hard on you two since she joined us, but I have had my reasons for doing so! She is my daughter, and I won't let anyone harm her or take her away. The reason why I've been difficult to work with lately was because I was worried you'd take her away from me. I was afraid I would lose the only family I had left."

I was actually a little surprised. I walked over and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Urkrad, we're all family now. I never would've tried taking her from you, not without your permission. All of us except you knew that. It's ok to be mad at me for your reasons, but at some point you need to let it go. I would like you to let Mino control her own life from now on, alright? I even promised her that we'd all work as a team as long as we're all here." "You know what? Don't even bother. After watching you two for a while, I've come to realize the faults that have dragged us down. So from now on, I won't bother either of you unless necessary. Mino will be free to do whatever she pleases, and all of us won't have to go through any more fighting against each other." Hearing this took a huge load off my mind, now that things were settled. We rejoin the group, who apparently stopped in their tracks the moment we left. Valtak asked, "Is there a problem, you two?" "No." Urkrad smiled. "No problem at all." He winked at Mino and mouthed the words, "You're free." Mino felt nothing but joy.

We exit the forest a few miles ahead and stop at the edge of Paxion Ridge. In the distance, we could see Quazar accompanied with someone. "Who's that?" I asked. Urkrad glanced again, and noticed something. Unbeknownst to us during our travels, Quazar had encountered a rather familiar enemy. "It's Malsauro. We're too late." Farther ahead of the two, I could see an obsidian tower. "Hey guys, I think I found the Staff."


	12. The Spire

_Chapter 12: **The Spire**_

"This is bad news for us. If Malsauro finds a way to control him, then he will have the upper-hand." Urkrad told us. "I'm not sure if that would be a problem. Quazar is a being of dark power. He's stronger than Malsauro himself. Even we might not be able to beat him. In my state, I'd stand no chance against him." I answered. I hadn't noticed that my Heart-Stone had changed its color to a dim red once Quazar came into view. It itched a little bit, so I scratched it. I'd almost forgot that Quazar and I were partially linked, because the moment I felt the itch, Quazar turned around and looked directly at me, causing me to duck behind a tree. "He knows we're following him." I peeked out from behind the tree and saw Quazar and Malsauro running towards the dark tower/spire. Mino pointed towards the spire, "We need to get there before they do." "But how?" I asked," They're closer to that thing than we are!" "They are, but we have a trick up our sleeves they won't see coming." "And what's that?" "This."

Mino aims her metal-meshed hand at a large boulder towards the bottom of the cliff. The gem embedded in her forehead began to glow as a stream of light slowly made its way to her outstretched hand. The light manifested into a small ball of energy, then in the blink of an eye, it pierced the boulder's surface. Within seconds the hole in the rock sparked and a small rift-like portal appeared in its place. Mino then aimed her hand at the tree I had hidden behind, creating another portal. She walks through that portal and steps through the one at the bottom of the cliff. We were all astounded by what we just witnessed. I put my arms up in the air in confusion. "Why didn't we do that earlier?" I yelled down. "We couldn't. I couldn't do that before. I learned how to do that last night. This gem is full of surprises. It's evolving my abilities every other day. Hurry up and get down here, guys." After a moment of processing this event, we joined Mino at the bottom of the cliff. "You're going to need to keep a close watch on that gem of yours." Urkrad warned her. "You never know when you'll lose control of it." "I wouldn't worry about it, dad." She answered. "When I first obtained the gem, it was very hard to control. But after it healed my wounds and modified them, it was rather easy afterwards. That's why I stayed back at my place for a while after you stopped by." I put my hand on her shoulder as she put her glove back on, "Well, no matter what happens, we'll be there for you to fix it." "Thank you."

As we traveled, my head started to buzz, as if something, or someone is trying to get my attention. I stopped, closed my eyes and pressed my right temple. Within moments I heard Quazar's voice echo in my head, "You must have a death wish following me here. Even Malsauro kneeled before my power." I could tell he was a little tired after running, because I could hear him panting. "Why do you need the Staff?" I asked. "So, you do know. If you really are that persistent, then so be it. I can't hide my secrets from you, anyway. I need the Staff to unlock the Tomb of the Crystal Knight. There are artifacts in there that I need to enslave the inhabitants of this world, and you won't be able to stop me." "We'll see about that. I'll see you soon." Before I opened my eyes, I felt a small breeze, then suddenly, I was stranded in the middle of the woods. I found my way back to the path we were following, but the others were nowhere in sight. 'Oh, great!' I thought to myself, 'How am I supposed to catch up to them now?!' Concentrating some of my energy into my legs, I leaped my way up to the tree tops of the forest and scouted the path from above to see if I could find the group. I had no luck until I heard Mino's voice. "Dakre!" She called out. "Dakre, where are you?" I looked around and saw her figure through the trees in the distance. I jump down and ran towards her. She gives me a hug as I spin her in the air. "Where were you?" She asked. "I don't know. I closed my eyes for a moment and then suddenly, I was somewhere here." "Well, whatever happened, we'll figure it out later, okay?" I nodded and followed her back to the group. As we walked, I asked Mino, "How did you know where to look for me?" "I don't know," she answered. "I guess we have some kind of connection to each other." "Huh. Wait, how did you get here so fast?" "We used one of my portals. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it." When we rejoined the group, Urkrad and Valtak were a little annoyed. "Where did you go?" They asked." "I don't know. I closed my eyes, then suddenly I was here." They didn't seem convinced, but they ran with it anyway. "So how much farther until we get there?" I asked. "Look behind you," Urkrad told me. "We're already here." I turn around and see the dark spire towering above us, just about a mile away. I spotted Quazar and Malsauro about 10-15 miles behind us, so it was safe to say that we beat them to it, thanks to whatever it was I did.

When we reached the spire, we were stopped by a sentient Crystal Knight statue. It hopped off of its pedestal and blocked the entrance. "Those who wish to claim the Staff must overcome the Trials of Trinity. In each Trial, you will be tested in your various abilities against various opponents. Failure to do so and the Trial will be reset. Succeed and the path ahead shall open. Enter if you dare." The only problem was that the statue was blocking our only way in. It took a while to figure out, but after a few minutes, I grabbed my sword and smashed the jewel on its crown. The statue slowly crumbled to dust, then mysteriously reappeared back on its pedestal. I inserted the Crystal Blade into a niche in the wall and the entrance slid open. Once we were inside, the door closed, trapping us within the spire. I looked around to find any other exits, but to no avail. "Looks like the only way out now is through the Trials."


	13. The Trials of Trinity (Work In Progress)

_Chapter 13: **The Trials of Trinity**_

We ascend the first set of stairs to the first trial. The room we entered was dimly lit with strangely familiar glow-stones. In the center of the room was a stone slab. Upon the slab was a pedestal similar to the one the Crystal Blade was once embedded in. I insert the blade and twist it 90 degrees to the right. We hear a little click, then the whole room began to shift and change. I retrieve my sword before leaping back from the pedestal. As I leapt away, platforms appeared on the walls and the ground had begun to crumble. "Get to a ledge, now! We're losing ground!" Urkrad called out. We each had got onto our own platform just before the ground gave way to an endless pit. "What do we do now?" I look around and spot a staircase on the far East side of the room. "There!" I point over to the stairs. "Use the platforms to reach the exit."

It would have been an easy feat if the wall behind us hadn't started closing in. I saw that the newly formed pit began to fill with lava. Not only that, but the platforms had started crumbling as well. As we hop our way towards the exit trying to avoid the death plunge, I couldn't help but sense someone else's presence watching over us. It felt like whoever set up these trials must still be here somehow.


End file.
